


Dusk's Brew

by Stolen_Writer



Series: Brews of the Astrals [6]
Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Character Narrative, M/M, Morning After
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-22
Updated: 2019-06-22
Packaged: 2020-05-15 20:24:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,024
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19303186
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Stolen_Writer/pseuds/Stolen_Writer
Summary: Not even the eyes of the ones ruling up above could do anything about the normality embracing us. Couldn’t he feel that right now? I probably would never know… and it was fine that way.





	Dusk's Brew

**Author's Note:**

> Hello everyone! It's been so long since I updated this series! I thought I wouldn't be able to do this, but thankfully, I've regained the want (and the means) to write some more about these two. It's been a while since I have played Final Fantasy XV and there's so much going on with it that I haven't seen. I hope I haven't lost touch with the characters.  
> Nonetheless, this is Cor's point of view on the events of Dawn's Brew. Please, enjoy and thank you for taking your time to check this out!

A quiet sleep ensued. The human warmth of that boy right by my side… It felt foreign and, dare I say, soothing. It was easy for my eyes to close once I felt his quiet breathing by my side. He was alright, he was finally calm and I could not do any more than to be grateful. Grateful to the Astrals up above for giving that boy a chance to have peace. Even as he slept near my presence. 

So, in between spaces of rest and unending thoughts, the night went by in a flash. A room illuminated by dreams at night, was overflowing with hope by day. It was amazing. If I could enjoy such a scenery every day… I wouldn’t ask for anything else. Those never ending days of dread and dark skies, they seemed so far, unknown. A room illuminated by dreams at night, was overflowing with hope by day… and I could never begin to imagine that something so fragile could be so beautiful. 

Rustling, the owner of such a palace tried to reach back to reality from the land of dreams in which he had cruised through without a problem. Ah, it was time to let him go… and for him to take away that warmth I already thought was mine. 

Odd eyes started to stare, unsure of what they were seeing. Wondering if they were still dreaming. The boy tried to focus his vision back at me while fighting over the obvious hangover he had. I stared back, as blankly as I could. If he was to face me in the morning, it, hopefully, had to be in the best way possible. So, nothing else came to mind than a serene expression… or as much of a serene look as I could muster up. It wasn’t the best, not by a long shot. I probably forgot how to look human, by now… 

**“Oh goodness! It’s the Marshall!”** he screamed and, in a flash, he wasn’t there. He fell from the bed, the proof of this was his audible groan from the ground. 

**“Is my face as scary as they say, Prompto?”** I asked, incorporating myself up to sit on the bed. It was the first thing to occur to me. Not like that boy would ever do something like that to someone from a higher rank than him… or anyone from a lower rank, anyway. He was too respectful. But, more importantly, wasn’t that too much energy in the morning and even while having a hangover? 

He slowly stood up, unnoticed by me as I tried to push random thoughts away. The pressure of every day and the darkness looming over, sucking my energy away… It was tiring. Applying pressure near my forehead - by now a habit -, I let out a soft sigh, finally staring at the now standing blonde boy, eager to hear or even see some movement. I pointed to the door with a small gesture from my head.

 **“Coffee. I’ll go make some now. Your head hurts, no? Maybe some of it can help you energize.”** voicing this as gently as I could, I hoped for the other to finally have some tranquility. Being so altered so early wasn’t good for his health, definitely not. Looking over to him, I suppose I actually didn’t want for him to be intimidated by my presence, something that couldn’t be helped, given the circumstances in which we know each other… Yet, today… It was just him and I in that small room. Not even the eyes of the ones ruling up above could do anything about the normality embracing us. Couldn’t he feel that right now? I probably would never know… and it was fine that way. 

Prompto’s reply was nothing more than a soft nod. One that could be missed, if I wasn’t paying close attention to him. He was petrified, while being in his own home, my presence only was enough to make him feel foreign. It… probably shouldn’t hurt me like this. Ignoring my doubts and thoughts, I took the first steps towards the door. It was fine, this is the norm, anyway. But, I kept something with me. That calm night, with his hands and arms offering his whole being to me. Resting as if I were a safe haven for him. At least _that_ I could take with me as I gave those steps, a small chuckle escaping me, unable to say anything about it. Destroying a moment like that was out of the question. 

**“I want to feel it again…”** I swear I heard those words. So, as immediate and sudden as they had been, I turned back to him, unchanging… and took him within my grasp, cupping his face with my hands. What was he even thinking? I searched for an answer, what better than his own eyes for an honest reply? Yet, all I saw was a soft color, covered by drops of water, concealing him as he stared right back at me… Slight flinches, but no separation whatsoever. 

**“You want to feel _what_ again?”** I demanded, waiting for a quick response of such brutal words. For some reason, his desire for something so lovely… It was hurting me more than to think it could all be forgotten. Because he wouldn’t forget it. He was too nice to leave it behind. He wanted to see the good in everyone, right? I couldn’t be the exception, even while being just a cruel legend. **“Do you want to feel the calm before the storm once more? Is the calm what you plead in a life of hurricanes?”** Because if that’s what he really wanted… I could not provide… not for long. 

Stupid me… Even while saying those words, I was just as exposed as he was to me. Inside my eyes, he probably could see it, him more than anyone else… Because we are both longing for something… aren’t we? With words like that so close to him, he probably knew what I was looking for. In a life so eternal, so excruciating… I just want for someone to listen, to be able to contain what’s consuming me. But, wasn’t that asking for too much? Something like that… was already too much. Many would argue that I already have more than I could ever hope for… More than what anyone would desire in more than a lifetime. Then, why? What am I missing? The strength in his eyes, it felt as if he knew… He showed courage and a gentle demeanor… Maybe even a bit of pity. 

A deep breath came up as he opened his mouth, he was going to answer, after all. 

**“I want to feel it… I don’t mind if it is the calm or the very storm… I want to feel… _you_ again.”** I doubted for a second, thinking my selfish wishes were making up words manifested in front of that innocent boy. But, I had heard it. That shaky voice, along with his shaky hands were enough proof that. Yes, my senses were alright. My thoughts? Not so much. 

Serenity was more than what I was feeling. The very sensation of his fingers tracing the edges of my face, tenderly, sweetly… it’s irreplaceable. I never thought I would feel something like this, not from him… or anyone at that. 

So, searching, I stared back at him… all the while having found some answers to the things I never knew I needed to know. I guess… it’s alright to give myself to him, just for a bit. A brief respite… Leaning forward, I got closer and closer… As close as I could to him… and he let me go. That’s when I felt it, I had to hold back. I didn’t want to scare him so, I embraced him tightly, not as tight as I would want, but enough to let my desires die down. Hopefully he didn’t notice that, yes, I was holding my whole being back. 

He embraced me as a reply, allowing for the storm to dissipate. Because, it had been hurting me but, how could I show such weakness to others? Was I even deserving of something like that? Of course not. Every bit of despair, the suffering I need to carry with me, is my price to pay and I can do no more than to accept it, carry it over until the end of time. Once my breathing seemed to even up, I felt I could at least open up a bit to him… I was still desiring so much more than what I deserve.

 **“I’ve seen so much… and done much more. The storm. Nobody desires the storm. If only, they’d desire it for brief moments. After that, the storm is no longer desirable… it is unpleasant. You see… the storm brings demise… It always does.”** This time, I was unable to hide the pain. Hopefully, he could forgive me for that. I just needed for him to listen and he did allow for me to express myself. I was fine with just that. I was eternally grateful for an act like that. 

In comparison, that boy… He got lost in his own thoughts of not being enough. I could see it with every brief glimpse of his eyes, trying to gather the rays of the sun. In every attempt of giving his best during battle, during practice, during anything. He was always searching for someone to accept him, to show him he was so much more than just a worthless person, something that would probably be lower than human. Of course, those thoughts were definitely wrong. He wasn’t seeing beyond, he had been fooled by his own demons, given in to them. All those insecurities blocked him out of the world. 

Those seconds we spent close, made me think deeply about all of this. It happens more regularly than we expect, more than it ever should… Those who give so much end up receiving scraps and sweet nothings, while the ones that give less, receive galaxies and flowerfields. I had settled to something like this, even if everyone was to end up unhappy because of it. I expected it to be a necessary evil, a rule that our world follows. Yet, when I think about the ray of sunshine in my arms… I can’t accept such torture. I can’t just sit back and observe him curl up into his small, secret shell, assuming he isn’t worthy of the sun’s smile. But, what could I do, if I myself couldn’t gather my broken pieces up from the hard ground? In the end, I’m not as strong as everyone makes me. And, because of this, he pulled away, softly. My eyes opened up, slightly confused… Was this really why he had let go of me? No, look at those eyes. They were staring back, deeply, studying me for seconds… To finally close the gap between us. Had I begged for it with my expression? Did he know I just… wanted something like this? A rather intimate part of his united with me, the truly unworthy one.

Timid but consistent, like the wind, that was the feeling he gave me… and the rush of surprise at every nervous touch of his lips ended up consuming me completely, as if a hailstorm was starting to form.

I looked at his eyes, the ones shutting up tightly, while my hands searched for his body, trying to sweep him away from this world and into mine. I had to grasp him before he would break the spell, because it was everything. At that very moment, grasping him, wrapping him around my arms and corresponding with profound discretion was everything and all I could ever hope for, my one and only blessing. Because of this, I couldn’t bring myself to hold much back. Yes, even the gentleness I was showing to that boy came from deep within the burning fire inside me… And it was a very dangerous line to play with, but I would hold on… Even while urges would come back up as if it were a recurring fever… Hopefully, he could forgive me for this, too. 

How much did it last? Ah… merely seconds. It didn’t feel at all like that. An eternity? It was funny for my head to think up something like that… Could it be possible? For me… to feel an eternity as forgiving as what he had given me? So strange. Near him, everything started to feel as if it could be mended… Could I myself be mended? He made me question things like those. Things I had left behind unanswered, years ago. 

From deep within, it surfaced, a feeling of joy. Hope… and affection towards that boy. He could see through it all and could fix what I had left broken… My whole being. For a while there, I really did leave myself at his mercy. ...And he was still holding me. 

**“Ah! The… the coffee! We need to make it!”** that was when I knew it was time for him to be freed, so I allowed it to be. Yet, I couldn’t help but show the happiness he had made for me, it was the least I could do to demonstrate some kind of gratitude. The boy released me and started walking away. His way of walking was… kind of strange, to say the least, but I wouldn’t pry, so I just proceeded to follow him, steady steps. It was a relief to see that… his steps didn’t gain much speed, he wanted to stay close, as did I… or so I wished. 

Getting out of the room, we were faced with a scenery far different from the one we had before. From dim and timid rays of sun seeping through, to a strong but welcoming sunshine decorating every single spot around. As if the heavens were rejoicing, we stood in between a light that we wished would never die. 

Immediately after taking the scene in, Prompto rushed to make some coffee. That was wrong, it wasn’t his turn to treat me, even if I was actually the guest. So, quietly, I stepped behind him and gave him a light pat on his shoulder. He turned to face me. 

**“I told you I would make the coffee, no? You sit there, I’ll be treating you today.”** and with that, I took the reins of the situation and went in to work. Holding out my hand to him, Prompto immediately gave me the coffee grounds, so I proceeded with the preparations. Time to make some breakfast. For Prompto, I planned preparing a wholesome meal, something that wasn’t just a means to kill hunger, but rather something he could enjoy without having to worry for those stomach aches of his. He’s gone through a lot, even with food. If I stand to think about it, it feels as if we both are… _cursed_. 

Flinching at the thought, my body pushed itself to move on. Painfully, I did, trying to shift my thoughts away to something that wouldn’t be... that stupid word, this stupidly eternal life of mine. Oh, with eternity came the fresh memory of that soft kiss. Was it even alright for me to do something like that to the poor boy? Of course, he didn’t seem bothered by it at all, but… was I just praising myself with illusions yet again? In between thoughts of happiness and demise alike, I had finished a light meal of scrambled eggs and toast. Serving them and handing them over to Prompto was no big deal, it felt like it all had gone through in a flash. It even gave me time to look for the creamer and sugar.

Paying attention to his movements, I awaited for a reaction and… there it was. The coffee, it was too strong. So, I went over to give him the cure to his pain. Pouring creamer into the cup, with hints of sugar. Taking a spoon to mix it all up, the mixture now showed a light color. 

Alright, now to wait for a reaction once again. He put the tip of the cup against his lips and drank a small sip. He sounded pleased now. **“This is perfect! It’s just like how I drink it, normally! How did you know the right amount? You’re amazing!”** he exclaimed, maybe a bit too excited. He really has so much energy… 

**“No need to be so amazed, Prompto. Wait until you try the food, then you can tell me if it’s really a nice breakfast.”** I replied, laughing a bit as I sat down and started munching down. Occasionally, I could see Prompto’s wide grin as he ate. It was good to see him like this. How much will I have to thank the gods later on for this? Further and further, my thoughts consumed me for a second, getting carried away by them, until I felt deep curiosity stare back at me. I lifted my gaze and heard.

 **“You are very quiet while eating. I thought it wasn’t humanly possible to do. How… How come you can do it? Why do you do it?”** A question like that, could I even answer it properly? Without bursting the bubble of the tranquil moment we were sharing… It probably was impossible. Eyeing him back, I decided… I should reply, either way.

 **“At war… you have to be silent… I guess I got too used to it. Besides…”** I paused, for a second there, I wavered… and so did my eyes. He didn’t stop me, he waited for me to continue. So, he did want to hear what was to come. If he really wanted for me to, then I would not stop. “I’m no longer human… Most likely, I never was.” another pause, and I felt myself lose against the battle of darkness. At this very moment, with these words, I would break the blessing I was given, with just the sound of my own voice.

**“I am the incarnation of a curse.”**

And there begins my story.

**Author's Note:**

> And that's all, for now! I had some small ideas written of what I wanted for the next chapter, but with Episode Ardyn around, I'm trying to decide whether I wing it with my own ideas as I recall them or if I allow for that Episode to give me a more logical explanation of what I had imagined for Cor. Anyway, thank you very much for reading! I hope you all have a great day! Your appreciation is always appreciated!


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